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Wyr
Wyr are one of the dominant races in Eitera . Generally reclusive and wary of outsiders, Wyr are focused primarily on the survival of their bloodlines, the creation of new technologies, and the reverence of nature. History and Background Not much is known of wyr history, as their histories are passed down through an oral tradition rather than written. The wyr tales tell of their once-great empire; their territory stretched across wilds, mountains, swamps, and deserts. They discovered Belathor's Root while excavating a mountian to build temple. This discovery changed their society forever. Once Belathor's Root was discovered, wyr druids and engineers found ways to manipulate the substance to create new technologies. The empire flourished as they developed new forms of transportation, weaponry, and many other uses for the substance. However, as the need for Belathor's Root grew, so did the depths of the mines. At some point the wyr miners awakened something terrible. Over a period of years, this new terror, called Marwoleath , swept across the empire and all but drove the wyr to extinction. The matriarchs, the rulers of the wyr, decided that they must flee this nightmare, and so the entirety of the empire migrated across the endless moors into new lands far to the west. These new lands became the new Agrewyr . Soon, neighbors were discovere, but after the first few meetings, these newly discovered neighbors became defensive and occasionally aggressive. It was determined then that the wyr must survive on their own. Though they found no friendship in Altenreh , the wyr were able to find friends in the lands of the Southern Reaches among the goblins and other races more respectful and protective of nature. The wyr's ultimate hope is that Marwoleath remains in the east and they may rekindle the might of their empire in their new lands. Physical Description & Society Wyr are essentially werebears, though in the world of Eitera, they are not victims of lycanthropy. Wyr males stand approximately two and a half meters tall, while females are typically larger, often reaching beyond three meters. The vast majority of wyr are brown in color, though there are white wyr, typically those who are older. Wyr society is matriarchal, with each bloodline led by a matriarch. All of the bloodline matriarchs come together to make official decisions for all of Agrewyr. While females are tasked with the administration of society and collection of food, males hunt and are primarily laborers and warriors. Wyr males are seen by females as generally juvenile and not fit to lead. This is accepted by males, who typically have no interest in leadership or the day to day tedium of administration. As hunters and warriors, they are free to roam the Agrewyr wilds while retaining the stability of a life in the villages or cities. Family Structure The nature of wyr society leads to a unique family structure. Females typically take several mates in their lifetime, though rarely more than one at a time. Males are not present during childbirth or involved in the early years of a cub's life. Bloodlines are determined by the ruling matriarch and any female descendants, but male parentage is not considered important. Thus, no wyr knows the male who sired them. Religion Wyr largely adhere to a druidic religion. The religion has no pantheon or gods; wyr believe that the spirits of nature reside in all things. They believe that Belathor's Root holds this spiritual energy in the highest concentrations. The fact that it is the druids who can direct this flow of energy for specific purposes lends credence to this theory.